Half a Day to Live
by PokemonTrainer12
Summary: An Egyptian monster attacks the forest just outside Camp Half-blood. Nobody knows what it is, of course, but Nico di Angelo goes to confront it, and is fatally injured. He has twelve hours until he takes his last breath, but Annabeth has an idea on how to save his life before it's too late. No slash.
1. Unknown Monster

**Okay, here is my very first Percy Jackson fanfiction! I'd ask you guys to cut me some slack, but that's probably a little obnoxious. So, let me know if I need to correct anything, be it spelling, grammar, or a character's personality. Enjoy! :)**

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><p>Nico di Angelo ducked as the huge snake head lunged at him. It barely missed and struck an oak tree. Nico swung his black Stygian iron sword to cut off the monster's head. The creature dodged easily with graceful but deadly speed.<p>

The son of Hades had been fighting the beast for the last fifteen minutes, and neither one had come close to delivering a killing blow. He was getting tired, and on top of that, he had no clue what this monster was.

It was a serpent, maybe fifteen feet from head to tail. A poisonous snake head was attached to either end, and in the middle of its body it had dragon's feet and legs. Nico didn't know what its name was; it certainly did not remind him of any Greek monster he knew of.

He hoped Annabeth knew. She was a child of Athena, her mind full of genius ideas and knowledge, and she was probably smarter than all the campers in Cabin 6. She knew all there was to know about the Greek myths, the gods, and monsters. If she would just hurry up, she might be able to give him advice on how to kill this she could show up with reinforcements, that would be even better.

_"Braccas meas vescimini!_"

Annabeth Chase burst through the trees, followed by Hazel Levesque, his half-sister, Frank Zhang, Percy Jackson (who had yelled the battle cry; what it meant, Nico didn't want to know), and Piper McLean.

_Finally, _Nico thought, not moving his eyes away from the snake beast.

"What the heck is that?" Percy yelled, uncapping Riptide, his ballpoint pen that could magically transform into a Celestial bronze sword. Piper, Hazel, and Annabeth unsheathed their blades, and Frank notched an arrow to his bow, though it was hard for him to aim for a snake head, since they both constantly swayed and bobbed.

When Annabeth didn't spout any knowledge about the monster, Nico got a sick feeling in his stomach. This was _not _good.

He quickly shook himself out of it. _Fine, _he thought. _We'll just have to deal with this thing on our own. _Gripping the hilt of his sword even tighter, he charged the beast.  
>Hazel yelled something in Latin and surged forward, the girls and Percy right behind her.<p>

While the demigods together definitely stood a better chance against this unknown monster, its serpent heads and swiftness still made it difficult to land a fatal blow. Piper used her charmspeak to keep both heads distracted while Annabeth tried to creep up on it and stab it, Frank and Percy backing her in case things went wrong.

Things went wrong indeed.

The second Annabeth's blade sunk into the serpent's middle, Piper's charmspeak wore off. Nico guessed the pain woke it right up. The monster hissed in pain and spat poison wildly, but it didn't disintegrate into dust like monsters normally did.

Both serpent ends swung their heads around, searching for the one who stabbed it. All four sharp eyes fixed on one demigod: Hazel. Baring sharp fangs, both heads lunged.

Time slowed down for Nico, like Kronos, the Titan of time, was standing in the middle of the forest with them. Nico's body moved on its own, as if his mind no longer controlled its actions. He sprinted towards his sister and pushed off the ground, shoving her out of the way.

And then, time resumed at a normal pace. Hazel was covered in grass stains and dirt, but unharmed. Her brother wasn't so lucky.

Nico felt like his leg, then his entire body, had been bathed in acid fire. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt. He simply couldn't take it. He blacked out.

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><p><strong>I'd appreciate it if you'd Review, but you don't have to. Honestly, I'm really happy you decided to check out my fanfic. So, thanks! :)<br>**


	2. Twelve Hours to Live

**Alright, here's part two! I'm not sure how well I'm going to do with the whole "angst" part, but hey, no time to doubt myself. I gave it what I had, but tell me if I did anything incorrectly, whether it's grammar or character-personality. Enjoy!**

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><p>Will Solace left the infirmary to report to the Seven (minus Leo Valdez, who was dead for all they knew) on Nico's condition. When he saw all their hopeful eyes, he immediately regretted coming outside.<p>

He shook his head, and their faces fell. "Nothing I give him is working." Will said dejectedly. "Nectar and ambrosia haven't done a thing. If this keeps up…" His next words stuck like cotton in his throat and he had to force them out: "He'll be dead in twelve hours."

Hazel felt like she was going to faint. Frank helped her sit down on the grass and stayed there next to her, holding her hand in, wordlessly trying to console her. But how to you comfort someone whose sibling is near death's door, and there is nothing you can do?

"There's got to be _something_ that can cure him." Piper said angrily, clenching her fists.

Hazel stood up. "I need to see him." Nobody tried to stop her from going inside. Jason stepped aside to let her pass.

Nico was lying on a cot, shivering violently as if he'd been dunked in frigid water. The poison from the bite had spread out to his veins, turning them a sickly green that was easily visible beneath his very pale complexion. A damp, cool cloth had been placed on his burning forehead.

It sickened Hazel to see her half-brother like this, and being unable to help him made it worse. She wanted to throw something, which wasn't like her at all.  
>She pulled up a chair and sat down. Not knowing what else to do, she took one of his hands in hers and whispered to him, "You'll pull through. I know you will."<p>

Her words, which were meant to be encouraging, did not sound very convincing at all.

The demigods were growing more restless with each passing hour. Most of them were pacing the grass, and Percy had worn a short groove into the ground. Only Annabeth was sitting down, deep in thought, her stormy gray eyes as sharp as stone.

"Any news?" Percy asked when Hazel exited the infirmary them for the fifth time.

The daughter of Pluto shook her head sadly.

"Ugh!" Piper groaned in frustration. "Why are we just standing here? We have to do something! Nico's dying, and all we're doing is pacing the ground. Don't you think Chiron would know anything?"

"If he did, wouldn't he have tried to help already?" Jason muttered.

"Good point," Frank sighed, disappointed. "But Piper's right. We have to do something to help. If I'm right, Nico's only got seven hours left—"

_"I've got it!"_ Annabeth shouted, leaping to her feet. "I have an idea!"

"Good job, Wise Girl." Percy grinned. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking about the monster. None of us could identify it, correct? So obviously, it isn't Greek."

"We've figured that much out, but continue." Hazel said, her voice anxious.

"It's a long story, so I'll give you the short version." said Annabeth. Taking a deep breath, she began: "Several months ago, I met this girl named Sadie Kane…"

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><p><strong>Please Review! I really do enjoy it when you do. It lets me know if readers like my fics or not. Anyway, thanks for reading! I'll keep going!<br>**

**Bleh, I keep running my mouth (or keyboard). Anyway, I hope you liked it. :)**


	3. Help is Found

**Sorry it took me more than a week. Here's the next chapter! It's a little longer than the last two.**

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><p>Annabeth rode atop a cream-colored pegasus, soaring over Brooklyn. She didn't have a clue as to what she was looking for, but she knew that whatever it was would stand out in some abnormal, magical way.<p>

The daughter of Athena had to admit that she was confused when Percy had absolutely refused to go with her. He didn't even give her a good reason why he was acting that way, just stubbornly shook his head rebuffed any attempt to change his mind.

In the end, Annabeth left without him. She could handle this by herself anyway.

She'd been flying for at least an hour, and Annabeth was considering turning back and trying a different city when an unusual building caught her eye.

Annabeth loved architecture. All of her friends knew that. Practically everyone in Camp Half-Blood knew of her dream to become an architect. The first word that popped into her head at the sight of the five-story mansion built out of lime was "gorgeous"!

She would have stopped her pegasus right there and gaze at the beautiful building for days. A full minute had passed before she shook herself out of it. Inwardly, she scolded herself. Nico's life was in danger. There was no time to dawdle.  
><em><br>But if I ever come back here, _she couldn't help but think dreamily, _I will definitely give it a thorough examination! _

She steered her pegasus in a dive towards the ground. This was exactly what she was looking for.

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><p>The whole mansion practically oozed strange magic. If she looked closely, Annabeth could see Egyptian hieroglyphics floating about the exterior of the house. They were probably there for protection, to keep monsters and mortals out. Would they prevent her, a demigod, from going in?<p>

She'd already sent her pegasus back to Camp. Facing the house, she cautiously stepped forward, her hand out in front of her in case something fired from the invisible barriers.

She felt herself pass through the force field, but nothing zapped her into ashes or anything, so that was a good sign.

The hunk of wood before her looked enough like a door, but it didn't have a handle or anything that could be used to open it. Not knowing what else to try, Annabeth knocked.

She waited a few moments. Nothing happened, like she figured.  
><em><br>I'll walk around and see if there's another entrance. _she decided. And so she set off.

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><p>A porch wrapped all the way around the perimeter of the house. Annabeth followed it in hopes of finding a back door, but no luck.<p>

The sun was sinking below the horizon. Annabeth checked her watch. It was 6:45pm; Nico had less than five hours to live, and Annabeth was starting to wonder if her idea hadn't been such a brilliant one after all.

Four hours left. Annabeth refused to believe that this was hopeless. There was simply an option she hadn't seen yet.

Right now she was actually climbing onto the terrace. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't the most difficult thing she'd ever done. There were much harder things in life than climbing a smooth wall. Tartarus, for example. But she really didn't want to think about that horrible place.

She finally scaled the wall, and the second her sneakers touched the floor, something behind her roared. Not daring to breath, she turned around to see an enormous albino crocodile swimming in a pool. Now it was crawling out, slowly making its way towards her. Annabeth got the feeling the crocodile was a guardian of some sort. She also felt that if she didn't act quickly, she was going to be the croc's next meal.

Annabeth didn't want to hurt it, but she would if she had to. The crocodile opened its jaws and charged.

The thing about crocs: they move slowly, but they can also strike lightning-fast if they feel the need. Annabeth barely jumped out of the way in time. The crocodile hit the wall behind her with a loud _crack_, but it quickly turned and lunged again, its tail sweeping the floor behind it. Annabeth dodged again.

It was fast, but luckily Annabeth was faster. But she knew she couldn't keep this up forever.

A door slammed open. Two teenagers— a boy and a girl— ran out. The boy quickly stepped in front of Annabeth, facing the crocodile, his hands held up defensively. "Whoa! Philip, it's alright. Calm down. We've got this."

The croc looked at him dubiously, but after a moment obeyed and backed off.

The boy looked now faced Annabeth. He was African-American, and he couldn't have been much more than fifteen years old. He was about to say something to her when the girl cut him off.

"Annabeth?"

She had blond hair with dyed purple streaks. Annabeth recognized her immediately.

Sadie Kane.

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><p>"I guess I shouldn't be surprised you found this place, knowing that you're a brainiac and all." Sadie spoke, taking a step forward. She was wearing linen clothes and combat boots, just like when Annabeth first saw her. Sadie swept her arms out dramatically. "Welcome to Brooklyn House, a.k.a the Twenty-first Nome."<p>

"What do you want?" the boy burst out.

Sadie rolled her eyes. "I suppose I ought to introduce my brother. This is Carter. He's just as brainy as you are. You'd get along fabulously." The blond girl spoke in a rather annoyed tone that Annabeth knew was not directed at her.

They didn't look like siblings, but the daughter of Athena decided it was better not to ask. Instead she said, "We need a skilled healer. Is there one here?"

"Yeah, why?" Sadie replied, confused. "If you needed my help, why didn't you just call me?"

"Too risky. Cell phones attract monsters like moths to a light. There is a protective barrier surrounding the Camp, but…" Annabeth shook her head. "That's not the point. One of my friends was badly poisoned by a serpent's bite. Nothing our best healers do has helped. See, the monster that attacked him…we think it wasn't Greek. It may even have been Egyptian. So I came to you for help. Do you know what the monster is?" the daughter of Athena asked.

"What did it look like?" the Egyptian magician queried.

"It was like one long serpent, with a head on either end. There were dragon feet in the middle of the body." As Annabeth described it, a chill ran down her back as she remembered the hideous creature. Hazel's loud scream as she watched her brother fall to ground still echoed inside her head. It was a terrible sound she would not forget easily.

The Kane siblings' faces paled drastically.

"That's a _tjesu heru_." Carter's voice shook a bit. "There's only one way to cure its poison. How long has it been since your friend was bitten?"

Things were even worse than Annabeth originally feared. "About nine hours. We think his maximum time is twelve."

"We'd better move fast. I'll go get Jaz." Sadie sprinted off.

She returned about three minutes later with another blond girl. This one looked like she'd fit in with the children of Aphrodite. She was tall and pretty like a cheerleader, but Annabeth could somehow tell that she was a skilled healer.

"Right," Annabeth said. "What's the fastest mode of transportation you have? I can guide you to Camp."

Carter put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly. A shrill shriek came from the rooftop. Was it just her, or did it sound to Annabeth like: "FREEEEEAAK!"?

A huge griffin soared downward towards the teens, pulling a large, Egyptian-style boat behind it. One of the first things Annabeth noticed about the seven-thousand-pound beast was its wings; they beat as fast as a hummingbird's. She got the feeling that she would be shredded like paper if she tried to sit on its back, which is why she climbed into the boat after Sadie and Jaz.

"You're not coming?" she asked Carter, who stood still as one of Medusa's victims.

"Nah. I'm good. You guys go. I figure someone ought to explain where Sadie and Jaz have gone off to." The magician had his arms crossed and a slight glare worn on his face. Annabeth had a feeling his reason for staying was more than what he was letting on. But there was no time to argue. They were running out of time.

"Wait up!" a male voice called. A tall, buff dark-skinned teen with a buzz cut ran out of Brooklyn House and, in one fantastic leap, landed in the boat next to Jaz.

"Walt Stone," he introduced himself to Annabeth, and held out his hand. "I hope you don't mind if I tag along."

"No problem," Annabeth replied, a little taken aback.

At Sadie's command, the griffin shot off into the dark sky, the boat pulled close behind. Help was on the way.

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><p><strong>Yeah, Walt was probably a bit out of character, but it was a quick update I added. He'll definitely be more in character next chapter. Anyway, hope you liked it! Please review. :)<br>**


	4. A Meeting of Magicians and Demigods

**I am so sorry I took so long! I don't mean to take more than a week, but eh, I really can't make excuses. I'm sorry I haven't updated, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also, thank you so, so much for Reviewing, Favoriting, Following, or just reading! I'm thankful for it all, I really am. :)**

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><p>Freak and the boat arrived at Camp Half-Blood in less than five minutes. How they got there so fast, Annabeth could not guess. They passed through the barrier without slowing down in the slightest; which surprised the daughter of Athena.<br>_  
>I figured it would be harder than that, seeing as they aren't demigods. <em>she thought. It was weird, but she couldn't think about it while more important things needed to be taken care of.

They landed with a jarring _thump _and bumped along the ground for a few seconds before finally being dragged to a halt. Annabeth and the magicians jumped out, and Percy, Hazel, and the other members of the Seven ran to meet them.

"Did you find them?" asked Hazel anxiously.

Annabeth nodded. "This is Jaz Anderson, the Twenty-first Nome's healer."

The daughter of Pluto and the Egyptian magician shook hands. "Pleasure." Hazel told her. "I'm Hazel Levesque, Nico's half-sister."

Jaz's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the daughter of Pluto. "Are you two close?"

Hazel was put off by the seemingly random question. "Yes, why?" she spoke with an edged tone.

"Good, because I think I'm going to need your help." The healer's blue eyes were grim. "You'd better come with me…but I guess you should lead me to the infirmary first, please."

The two girls walked off, leaving the rest of the Seven with Sadie and Walt.

Sadie turned to Percy. "So, _you're _the guy who beat that colossal croc with my brother, a few months back?"

"Brother?" Percy echoed, confused. "You mean..?"

"Carter." Sadie confirmed.

It all made sense to Annabeth now. Percy had rushed off to confront a monster in a neighborhood somewhere on Long Island, but he had purposely left out the detail that he'd had help from Carter Kane. The two boys obviously hadn't gotten along from what she'd observed about Percy's attitude about going with her to Brooklyn House, and Carter's obstinacy about coming to Camp Half-Blood.  
><em><br>Boys, _Annabeth thought, exasperated, and couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"Should we go see what Hazel and Jaz are doing?" asked Frank, glancing anxiously in the infirmary's direction.

Jason shook his head. "They probably need their space."

So they waited, but the tension was as thick as peanut butter. The demigods made small talk with the other two magicians, though it was rather forced.

"So, all of the campers here have one mortal parent and one godly parent?" Walt mused aloud.

Annabeth nodded. "That's right. And Egyptian magicians in the Twenty-first Nome are descended from the ancient pharaohs?"

"Yep," said Sadie. "But anyone can learn magic, really."

Walt's eyes kept drifting towards the infirmary. "I sense death radiating from there…" he murmured to himself.

Annabeth overheard. _How is he able to sense that? _she wondered.

Whatever Jaz was doing with Hazel, it was taking a long time. Annabeth wished they would just hurry up, but then she remembered fighting Serapis alongside Sadie. She'd learned that Egyptian magic can take a while.

"What do you mean, you can sense death?" Piper asked.

"Anubis is the Egyptian god of death and funerals. I have…gained…much of his power, so I can sense death as well." Walt explained in a calm but guarded tone.

"Huh. That kind of sounds like Nico." Percy mused aloud. "He's a son of Hades, the guy who runs the Underworld."

Walt thought for a moment, then stood up and strode off to the infirmary. The sudden odd behavior confused everyone, even Sadie.

"This really isn't the time for a dead people party." The young magician muttered before getting up and following him.

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><p>"No, this is crazy! You're telling me that I have to perform Egyptian magic?"<p>

"I told you, anyone can do it." Jaz replied firmly. "Hazel, listen to me. You've told me you have done magic before. I know you can do it again, even if it is Egyptian. You _need_ to do it— it's the only way to save Nico's life."

Hazel didn't normally freak out, but she was now. But she swallowed her fear and forced herself to look into Jaz's eyes and pay attention.

"Everyone has a secret name, but most people go through their entire lives without knowing theirs." Jaz began, her voice deadly serious. "This spell involves using Nico's secret name to cure the poison. However, one does not simply give up their secret name. It is their identity, their most private fears, their darkest dreams, their deepest desires. To tell someone your name would give them power over you."

"And you want me to learn his?" Hazel asked dubiously.

"Nico knows you, and you obviously love him very much. As his sister, he trusts you—"

Hazel held up her hands. "Hang on. It's not like Nico tells me all his secrets. We're close, but not _that_ close."

"Hazel, there's no time for doubts. You're the only one who stands a chance of learning Nico's secret name." Jaz's tone was urgent. "Do you want to save your brother or not?"

Hazel didn't hesitate; she nodded.

"Okay." Jaz leaned a little closer. "Listen carefully— I'm going to teach you the spell."

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><p>The moment the death-like presence entered the room, Nico's painful nightmare vanished.<p>

Instead, he was standing in a dark graveyard thick with gray fog. Standing ten feet away was a tall, handsome teenager who looked a lot like himself— pale skin, black hair, dark eyes— only the stranger had a more groomed appearance, like his hair was messy, but not as crazy as Nico's. He was dressed in black jeans, a leather biker jacket, also black, that was unzipped to reveal a tattered t-shirt, and combat boots. An aura resembling death itself radiated from his very body.

"Who are you?" Nico asked him suspiciously. "How did you enter my dream?"

"My name is Anubis," the boy said. "I was able to come here because you—" he pointed his index finger at Nico, "—are very close to death."

Nico was a little taken aback by the outright statement, but then he snorted. "You think I don't know that? Not only am I a son of Hades, but I've also figured out by now that that monster's poison does more than just cause its victim unbearable pain." He stared into Anubis' face. "No, you've come for more than just to tell me I'm about to die. What is it you want?" Nico took a step towards him, eyes full of distrust.

Anubis smiled like he found the son of Hades' attitude amusing. Nico was growing more irritated by the second.

The god of death said nothing, still smiling.

The son of Hades glared at him. "Don't tell me you entered my dream just to alert me of your presence."

Anubis dark eyes studied him. "You intrigued me, since we are much alike in some ways. Perhaps I chose a bad time for a conversation?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "You think?" he scoffed. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Well, some of this might come as a surprise…"

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><p><strong>Yay! I've always wanted Anubis and Nico to meet. I really don't know if they'd actually get along, but I think they would.<br>**

**Ah, enough of my rambling! Thanks for reading, and I'll do better about updating next time. :)**

**No promises, though. Sorry...**


	5. To Unlock a Mind

**I really, really hope this is a good chapter. Enjoy!**

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><p>Anubis was gone, leaving Nico to face death alone.<p>

He was a son of Hades; the Ghost King. He could summon an army of skeletons and zombies and command them at will. He spent a heck of a lot of time in the Underworld, listening to the tortured cries of those in the Fields of Punishment, and the wails of those lost in the endless Fields of Asphodel. And yet, he was afraid. Perhaps it was because seeing death and actually experiencing it are two different things, or maybe he simply didn't want to die.

As poisonous shadows surrounded him from every angle, threatening to envelope him, Nico thought of his sisters. After Bianca had passed away, a terrible emptiness had moved into his heart. His father didn't care about him, Persephone was a complete jerk, and Camp Half-Blood was the last place he'd wanted to be. He'd felt so, so alone. If he died now, Hazel would still have her friends, but she wouldn't have a brother. He did not want to leave her that way. He just couldn't allow it. Not if he could help it.

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><p>Hazel stood at her brother's bedside, clutching tightly a wax figurine that had been shaped to resemble Nico. Other than the squashed lump of a head and face, it was a fairly decent replica. She had to use it to heal her half-brother, though she still wasn't quite sure how it would work.<p>

There was no time for hesitation, though. Less than five minutes remained in Nico's life. It was now or never, and she _had_ to succeed. Mentally, she reached out to him.

At once she was forced out. Hazel was shocked at the sheer enormity of her brother's pain and fear. She realized she was wrong— even after the battle with Gaea, Nico still had a good deal of darkness that he did not want anyone to see trapped inside. The mental torture he went through every day made the _tjesu heru's_ bite seem like a paper cut.

It sickened the daughter of Pluto. _How can one person alone bear so much pain and misery? _

She attempted to enter his mind again, this time more focused than before. _Nico, please: tell me your secret name._

So close to death, yet the son of Hades was still as adamant as ever. His mental strength was incredible, resisting anything attempting to get close. So many thoughts and secrets were bottled up inside because he was too afraid to share them, afraid he would be judged.  
><em><br>Nico, _she reached out with her thoughts, desperately trying to give him some kind of comfort. _It's all right. You're okay._

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><p>He wanted the pain to end. All it would take was a few words. The simple words that summed up his entire existence. He only had to tell his sister, whom he knew could be trusted. But he was afraid, terrified of revealing who he really was. Even the closest of friends didn't share <em>everything<em>. But if he were to survive, he would have to do just that.

Suddenly he could hear his half-sister, calling out gently: _It's okay, Nico. I'm here for you. You don't have to hide. _

The words kept flowing out. Hazel let them. All she wanted right now was for her brother to know that she was here for him, no matter what happened.  
><em><br>You don't have to hide. You don't have to keep everything inside. I don't care how different you are from me or from anybody else— you are my brother and my amazing friend. You're okay now.  
><em>  
>The invisible, mental wall lowered slightly.<br>_  
>It's okay.<em>

Hazel felt the ground vibrate beneath her feet. Cracks seemed to appear out of thin air.  
><em><br>I love you._

The wall collapsed.

Hazel heard a faint voice call out. Nico was trying to telling her something. He sounded distant, but somehow Hazel understood him perfectly.

Suddenly she could see everything in Nico's life. She saw a moment from years ago while she'd still been dead, when Percy had sadly told Nico that his big sister had died on a quest; she watched as the ten-year-old version of her brother threw down a tiny statue and ran off into the forest. She saw him cleave a fissure in a stone floor and send the ghost of the wicked King Minos back to the Underworld. She saw the entirety of Nico's fourteen-year life pass in mere moments before her eyes. And she finally learned what had taken place at Diocletian's palace.

She glanced down at her hands and remembered the little wax statue. She felt a surge of power as she spoke Nico's secret name. She spoke the spell, and the figurine turned green and melted as it absorbed all of the poison in Nico's body.

Inside Nico's mind, everything went black.

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><p><em>It's okay, Nico. You're okay now.<br>_  
>The son of Hades slowly opened his eyes. A blurry figure was sitting in front of him. As his eyes adjusted, he made out a pair of lovely golden eyes looking concernedly at him.<p>

"Nico?" she said quietly.

He managed to push himself up into a sitting position, feeling slightly sore all over, not to mention he was downright exhausted.

Looking around, Nico realized it was very dark out, and that he was in the infirmary. He wondered why until he remembered the monster.

"What…happened?" he asked Hazel, his voice tense and hoarse from not being used for such a long time. "The monster…"

Hazel shushed him. "Lie down. You need to rest. You've been through a lot." She gently pushed him back down.

"Yeah, but…" his dark eyes betrayed nervousness. "Did you..?"

"See everything? Yes."

"Including that whole thing with…?"

"Yes."

His gaze flickered away. "And you…don't care?"

Hazel gave him a slightly exasperated smile. "Why would I? Nico, it's okay. You're still the same brother to me." She tightly wrapped her arms around him. Nico awkwardly hugged her back.  
><em><br>It's okay.  
><em>  
>He smiled a bit as he settled back into his slightly-uncomfortable bed. "Well…okay."<p>

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><p><strong>Is this good as an ending? I mean, yeah, it could be, but I think I want to write a little more to this. Anyway, tell me what you thought! I'd really appreciate it, and please let me know if I messed up on anything. Thanks for reading! :)<br>**


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